Forged in Fury
by jejeje117
Summary: Naruto met a much more amenable Uchiha than Sasuke during his depraved childhood. Caution, riddled with more (plot)holes than swiss cheese.
1. Prologue 1

Kazuki scowled fiercely as he stormed down whatever street had come between him and his increasingly absentminded mother. Having lost the woman to the crowds in the marketplace, the young Uchiha had explored every imaginable niche within Konohagakure. So intent was he on finding his vaguely parental figure that he barely noticed the gradual change in scenery, until a tiny skeletal hand seized his ankle.

His first thought upon seeing the pile of rags was that someone had some serious explaining to do, because who in their right mind would leave a kid unattended in such a dismal place-_Oh shit, there was a pretty blatant brothel over by apartments that had no right to be up for lease…how had he found his way to the Red Light District again? _And then he made the mistake of trying to discern exactly how battered the brat was, and every injury undermined his belief in the Police corps just a little more, because he'd be damned if they weren't all _deliberately inflicted._

Uncharacteristically warm grey eyes met with the blue beacons of one Naruto Uzumaki, and the rest-well, the rest was history.


	2. Prologue 2

Very few training grounds ever fell into disuse, but area 174 was considered too dangerous for most who had need of it, as it housed every mentally unstable and therefore discarded summons. Of course, the combination of untameable forest, a wide expanse of unkempt grass, and treacherous cliff was more than enough to keep the crazy creatures entertained.

Kazuki and his recently appointed disciple had more guts to spare than even jounin.

A painfully large grin settled on to Naruto's face as he made himself at home in the canopy of several large Oaks, having been gifted the promise of _ninja training_, his very own training area, and even _new clothes_. Kazuki had mentioned that though the shorts were a bit too ordinary with the black material, the bright orange top was positively _anti-angst _which was just optimistic enough to pass as a compliment.

"Hey Dipshit! You were _supposed _to climb like I told you to! Maybe that way you won't get high enough to break your skinny little neck."

Okay, so Naruto was pretty certain that he shouldn't have heard that last part, but even so he scarpered down to ground level as fast as his stubby legs would carry him…and promptly fell flat on his face. Given that he came up gasping for air with half the forest floor glued to him, there was no way he could save any dignity. Moments later the pair of them were left reeling from giggles, and all pretence of a classroom atmosphere was abandoned. Instead Kazuki decided to use a much funnier method of training.

"So this whole chakra control thing is actually damn useful. I mean, it's much easier to run when gravity isn't an issue, right? So how about, using only tree-walking, we try and find out the source of all those weird rumours about this place?"

Naruto's five year old imagination latched onto the prospect of a _real tiger, _though he couldn't really picture anything bigger than the stray cats that prowled around outside of _Miss Moriko's herbal remedies store, _and he immediately dashed off. The first poor trunk splintered, the second only cracked-and Kazuki was immensely grateful that the brat gained some semblance of control before the real development of chakra stores kicked in. Even Uncle Obito hadn't done any real damage to the unsuspecting Uchiha elms, and apparently he'd been more of a powerhouse than the clan head himself.

Meanwhile, Naruto made the most of his head-start. For a while his clumsiness scattered all wildlife within earshot, but with an unyielding stubbornness he _forced _his feet to land softly, and even managed to cause less disturbance when he encountered inconsiderate branches. In fact, by the time painful hunger wracked his belly, he'd got the whole silent-movement thing down pat…but the stupid creatures still fled, and Kazuki was faster, which meant that it wasn't good enough.

"We're coming back again tomorrow, right?"

(I don't know why, but there's this scene in _The Incredibles _Where Mr Incredible shouts "like I told you!" really weirdly, and it's now stuck in my head.)


	3. Prologue 3

Kazuki couldn't supress a maniacal grin at the sight of Naruto letting loose in area 174. The blonde blur hadn't been able to resist the urge to beat the living shit out of a particularly disturbing Snake with a penchant for peeking on prepubescent boys. Seeing as it was a damn good show with a justifiable cause, the Uchiha was loathe to end it.

In fact, as the vermin took no less than thirty two perfectly executed punches to the Jaw in less than a second, Kazuki considered his most recent and incredibly impulsive plans with a more level head.

They could leave, he with no loving family to miss him, and Naruto with hatred to spur him on. They were brothers, they could hold their own against anyone and didn't need to listen to assholes who were too quick to assume that they needed to be put down like rabid dogs. Okay, so Kazuki's father hadn't been a fucking pedigree-but Jesus, he'd awoken the Sharingan barely a month after Itachi, yet he hadn't even been permitted to enter the academy yet for fear of ruining the reputation.

A year in Iwa, maybe, to prove that they were capable, and then he could return with his head held high. There was tension there, maybe even a few battle-hungry Genin who wouldn't expect a pair of kids. Naruto was a natural assassin in the making, if he just showed the Hokage his talent then they'd have to acknowledge it-and the brat's affinities to water and wind were frankly unnerving. Kazuki, well with his katon arsenal and doujutsu there was no way he couldn't cope with anything that went down.

In all serious they knew the schedules of the chuunins who guarded the gate, and Naruto could sense their chakra from a mile away, though why he kept quiet about that particular talent was a mystery.

There was plenty of disused gear in the Uchiha armoury, how hard could it be?

"How do you feel about a vacation?"


	4. Forged in fury chapter 1

Wave couldn't hide the corruption that had ravaged it as easily as Konoha, maybe it was because civilians found it more difficult to pretend that their lives weren't falling to pieces. Naruto didn't know whether to smirk or sneer at the pitiful way they resigned themselves to being doormats, but he settled for neither-the Naruto that he wanted to be only grinned inanely, after all. Good kids were actually childish, and clumsy, and everything Kazuki hadn't asked him to be.

Maybe his derision was stamped across his forehead or something, because as he passed the remains of a medical clinic filled with filthy starving orphans Kakashi frowned. The blonde genin veiled his blunted curiosity behind what could have passed as moronic ignorance about the street urchin's situations. While Sasuke and Sakura fell for it immediately, their sensei was slower to settle into the familiar pattern.

Frustration was a familiar feeling for Naruto, but not usually in conjunction with the behaviour of another-usually only his own thought processes were a cause for concern. Was he that selfish? Maybe, maybe not, considering a psychotic break was not in the best interests of the Leaf village's budding shinobi. He considered his body language, the awkward stride that so strongly contrasted with his natural gait, the naivety in his "honest" grin, the uncomfortable lack of defensive posturing-

Oh, wait, that wasn't lacking. He could have groaned as he realised that his shoulders were a few millimetres too far forward, and his chin tucked slightly. _Fuck. _Okay, so he could chalk it down to his time roughing it on the streets, but that would still mean explanations, and the whole "team" thing meant sharing. Plus Kakashi had been the elite of the elite-he would damn well know that there was more…and exploit the fact that a so-called class-clown had bullshitted consistently to peers and superiors…

The jounin's lone visible eye crinkled, and the fake happiness it conveyed was practically menacing. _Ohshitohshitohshit. _If Naruto hadn't have long since lost his faith in any merciful God, he would have begged for a chance to cling to his façade. He knew better than anyone that the monster under the mask was beyond pity, beyond anything remotely like redemption. The whole green genin act was new, refreshing, and definitely a much needed break from the black hole of utter _madness _at his core.

That brought Naruto up short, and the short-lived confused indignation definitely disrupted his expression. Since when had _he _needed anything? Hadn't the loss of his best friend and consequently sanity brought home the fact that dependence was dangerous?

But then what was the act for? Sure, it had prevented Hokage-jiji from having a heart attack, and okay, so it was crafted from his own childish perceptions and Kazuki's more mischievous side…but it was like a plaster. An old plaster that was losing adhesive and lacked waterproofing…but still a temporary stop-gap measure.

Oh God, Kakashi hadn't even started the interrogation and already he had Naruto on the edge of the proverbial cliff. Was this what it was like to be psychoanalysed? Would he be asked to take the plunge to satisfy the bastards' need for an illusion of security?

"We're here Dobe."

Well, if the cockroach infested kitchen of the Bridge Builder wasn't a fitting interrogation room, then he didn't know what was. With his heart in his throat and a definite tremor in his hands, he ignored Sasuke in favour of a very rickety wooden chair at the equally dubious-looking table.


	5. Forged in fury chapter 2

Naruto didn't realise the rim of the mug was pressed against his lips until the warm tea hit his tongue, but it was nevertheless a calming action, and he reigned in some of the bitterness that always lingered beneath the laughter. Hysterical mirth bubbled up at the thought of _fully trained ninja_ with all their bullshit about seeing "underneath the underneath" because none of them ever had, bar the eccentric jounin with one eye focused on both a book full of porn and three genin-and even that had been because of a slip up.

As Sasuke and Sakura scrambled to keep up with Inari (who possessed the Mother of all sullen bratty attitudes) Naruto let the innocent glee slip of his face. Exhaustion, more than bone deep, settled into the creases of his not-quite-tanned brow. Keen suspicion fought with distrust and muted anger in the depths of his subdued blue irises, and a practiced indifference worked its way across his face in the form of a grim sneer. It was almost pitiful, all that was left of Kazuki's devoted follower was something hollow, something broken over and over again and glued together with old fury.

The mask did nothing to interrupt the professional mask that stole across Kakashi's face, but it wasn't quite cold enough to live up to apathy. Without the pressure of company, both shinobi allowed the subtle hostility to rise until it ebbed, and then they were equals in a way that green-as-grass genin couldn't possibly understand.

When the tension, the promise of conversation, became unbearable, Kakashi was the first to break the silence. He was the superior in terms of physical strength, age, experience, and most likely everything else-he hadn't cracked under the pressure, but judged it to have reached an acceptable level.

"Why are you lying?"

He couldn't have asked about the content of the lies, or even the specific incident, he had to encompass the entire issue, and order the vocalisations of fucking feelings. On the other hand, it wasn't a straightforward one word answer question, and the parameters of that answer hadn't been set…

"You couldn't hope to understand."

"Would it matter if I didn't?"

Oh that was below the belt. Naruto didn't _need _a God-damned councillor, or a confidante, or even some kind of friend-he was perfectly happy holding himself together without the worry of someone else doing a shoddy job of it. With no small amount of razor-sharp rage written all over him, the orange menace inched his hands until his kunai holster was within easier reach. Sensing the shift, Kakashi tried a different tack.

"You are not the Naruto who presented himself at the first team meeting, he was the one who was difficult to fathom-you on the other hand…"

The jounin leant forward in a way that should have been threatening but wasn't, and then there was a strange interest that gleamed in the suddenly warm grey eye. The compassion didn't quit fit with his usual aloof demeanour, and maybe that was what prompted Naruto to actually consider the situation.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My favourite food is ramen, I enjoy training and strongly dislike certain people. I hold affinities for wind and water, although water is the stronger of the two, and I excel at assassination and infiltration. After taijutsu and ninjutsu, kenjutsu is my strongest suit."

"Anything else I need to know in a combat situation?"

Naruto could have been chiselled out of stone, he was so still, and Kakashi immediately recognised the posture of a bred soldier. It wasn't a healthy mind-set to have, not at all, and for a moment the older man allowed himself to wonder exactly how Naruto crammed so much pent up rage, resentment and bloodlust into a clown-shaped package wrapped in die-hard obedience.

The moment passed, and then Kakashi prayed to every deity he knew that the kid wasn't as fucked up as he seemed. After brief consideration, even Obito was called upon…just in case some of the prankster façade was actually real.


	6. Forged in fury chapter 3

Maybe it was the tea, but Naruto definitely felt the tight knot of dread uncoil in the pit of his stomach as he slunk out of the kitchen. Kakashi _knew, _well maybe he didn't know so much as suspect, but it was still a huge improvement. An ugly, crooked, honest grin wormed its way on to the dobe's face, except his defences weren't up. He was, in some fucked up capacity, genuinely happy. Naturally, the moment was interrupted.

Sasuke Uchiha couldn't claim to have inherited the same genius as his older brother, but he had the confidence to compensate somewhat. The bastard was, for the most part, an unbelievable prick. On the other hand, he was almost as emotional as Kazuki had been, it was just hidden behind a veneer of superiority.

Naruto, the honest-to-God veteran assassin, welcomed the unusual challenge. It was there, the incredibly depth emotion, and he owed it to his friend to unlock it. So with a mischievous smirk and a smug gait, he meandered down the hall and waited for the inevitable curiosity. It took barely a second for Sasuke to take the bait, he wheeled around with a semi-blunt kunai in hand, and just about enough killing intent to send a toddler into a fit of giggles. Actually, it was enough for Naruto to stifle a few chuckles.

No-one, not even the Sage if Six Paths himself, could look intimidating in a handmade blue T-shirt, and those awkwardly loose white shorts-had Sasuke kept everything his mother had made for him? That was all kinds of sad and dedicated, but he seriously needed some practical armoured clothing. Idly, Naruto wondered if he could talk with his neon orange jumpsuit…but he had pulled a fast one over the Hokage's personal ANBU while wearing it, so maybe it was a matter of skill. Okay, the colour was bright enough to burn a way a bit of nostalgic pain, but maybe he could strap on a few shoulder plates…just for old time's sakes.

The former class clown raised one not-quite innocent eyebrow, and it was lost beneath his headband, which completely ruined the effect.

"What did you do?"

Really, that was it? He'd literally seen retarded eight year olds make a better attempt at interrogation. Whatever the brat did after his vengeance fuelled rampage, he was not going to serve under Ibiki. The tired derision Naruto mustered was conveyed across as "Who, me?" and maybe that was where it began.

Kazuki had punctuated his training sessions with claims that fighting made more friends than enemies…at least before they had started crossing blades with real enemies. It was supposedly because some people could "read the intentions of others" through brawling…if that was the case Naruto seriously doubted that he possessed the ability. He mostly just got murderous vibes, or the terrified feeling that usually preceded a nasty accident.

The blond sighed, and tried not to look like he was faking as he neatly dodged a poorly executed roundhouse kick. It wasn't a struggle to realise that Sasuke was not up to par with someone who'd fought to survive, but it was a bit of a shock to spar with an Uchiha who couldn't boast of the sharingan. Sasuke had been young before the loss of his family, but apparently it had still been driven in that the doujutsu was a necessary tool for successful taijutsu.

Every punch the bastard threw was aimed to counter, because the poor kid couldn't strike pre-emptively if he didn't know what was coming. It was maddening, pitiful, and more than a little bit sickening. So much so that Naruto gave himself the honour of actually throwing himself in front of a jab. It was similar to a bitch-slap…by Moegi.

That would not do at all, not if he was actually going to put up with the teamwork spiel. Seriously, if he was going to work with the pricks and not murder them whenever the urge arose, they at least had to put a similar effort in. Dread crept up his spine at the prospect of Sakura being even weaker-_Shit. _One step at a time, one step…


End file.
